August 6, 2020 Edition of the Bay Area Reporter

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New leather dist. mgr.

Drag stamps sought

More Buttar fallout

ARTS

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Becca Mancari

The

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Vol. 50 • No. 32 • August 6-12, 2020

Coalition aims to address racism, safety in LGBTQ bars Courtesy Dan Tavares Arriola

City Councilman Dan Tavares Arriola

Gay man seeks to lead Tracy

by Matthew S. Bajko

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ast summer, gay Tracy City Councilman Dan Tavares Arriola was recuperating from being hit by a car in downtown Stockton after attending an LGBTQ event where he was an invited speaker.

A year later, having fully recovered, Arriola is running for his city’s open mayor seat, as the incumbent is termed out of office. Should he be elected, Arriola would be the first LGBTQ mayor and the first mayor of color.

“In the city of Tracy we’ve had a history of challenging history, and I think that given the political climate it is time to address so many issues we have not talked about before,” said Arriola, 30, who works as a deputy district attorney for the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s office. “When I looked at the candidates that were running, I didn’t see the type of leadership I wanted for my city.”

Born on November 3, Arriola’s birthday coincides with this year’s fall election.

“I am hoping for a really good 31st birthday present,” he told the Bay Area Reporter.

His decision to run for mayor of the Central Valley city adjacent to the Bay Area is hardly surprising. He had told the B.A.R. last year that he was keeping his “options open” when asked about seeking the position.

As of Wednesday morning, two women of color had also pulled papers to run for mayor: termed out Tracy Councilwoman Nancy Young, who is Black, and former Tracy planning commissioner and business owner Jass Sangha, who grew up in Mumbai, India. The filing deadline for the race is Friday, August 7, and several other local leaders are expected to enter the contest.

Born in San Jose to a white mother and Latino father, his parents divorced after Arriola was born, and his mother moved them briefly to Portugal.

When he was 3 years old, they returned to Northern California and settled in Tracy where his father was living. His parents remarried and had a second son, now age 24, but divorced again last year.

After leaving to attend college at UCLA, where he was the political science valedictorian in 2011, and then USC law school, Arriola moved back in 2014. Single, he continues to rent an apartment, as “the cost of housing is astronomical here,” he said.

Arriola served as the DA office’s first community prosecutor, tasked with implementing “progressive prosecution” strategies for such issues as homelessness, human trafficking, neighborhood nuisances, and school truancy.

Arriola’s campaign slogan of “a new generation of leadership” may ring familiar, as gay former South Bend, Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg used it for his bid to be the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee this year. But Arriola noted he has been using the phrase since 2016 when he mounted his first bid for public office, winning a seat on his local school board.

Two years later Arriola was elected to the City Council as its first LGBTQ member. In 2019 his request that the city fly the rainbow flag for one day in June in honor of Pride Month was approved, and this year it flew for the entire month.

“We also had a proclamation recognizing the LGBTQ community in our city, something I thought I would never see,” said Arriola. “Growing up here, there was a lot of disdain for our community.”

While last year’s vote to fly the Pride flag for a day in honor of the 50th anniversary of the See page 3 >>

by John Ferrannini

[Editor’s note: This article contains the Nword spelled out because it was used in direct quotes by a Black man, referring to what people had called him at one of the bars.]

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or four hours July 30, a new coalition of Black, trans, and queer nightlife figures held a virtual town hall where they interviewed the owners and managers of LGBTQ bars in San Francisco about racism and safety issues at their establishments.

The Bay Area Queer Nightlife Coalition preceded the event, which was held on Twitch and sponsored by Strut, a community health and wellness center in the Castro, with a survey about queer nightlife that garnered hundreds of responses. The survey gave each nightlife spot a rating (on a scale of 0 to 4) on inclusivity, and another on safety.

“The survey showed that many participants felt most nightlife spaces prioritized and centered ‘cis gay white men’ over other patrons,” the coalition stated. “The survey showed that women and femmes, Black and Indigenous folks, and trans and nonbinary folks didn’t feel safe or included in most nightlife spaces.”

Survey respondents also said these groups were not adequately represented in staffing,

Steven Underhill

The Edge bar in the Castro was one of several LGBTQ nightlife establishments that came under criticism for alleged racism during a July 30 town hall by the Bay Area Queer Nightlife Coalition.

management, marketing, and performances.

Further, survey respondents mentioned that “many nightlife spaces struggled to manage a culture of touching without consent [and] instances of sexual harassment,” and that a “substance heavy environment” made sober patrons feel excluded.

Representatives from The Stud; The Edge; Badlands and Toad Hall; and The Eagle were presented with the results of the survey as it related to their particular establishments and in

restorative justice moments some of them were faced with those who said they’d had negative experiences at their businesses.

Jolene Linsangan, owner of Jolene’s, was originally slated to attend but did not. As the Bay Area Reporter previously reported, Jolene’s is facing a lawsuit from a former co-owner as well as a slew of accusations from an anonymous group of employees regarding alleged employee mistreatment, manipulation, racism, See page 8 >>

Trans woman sues San Quentin prison, alleging retaliation

by John Ferrannini

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transgender woman is suing officials at San Quentin State Prison, alleging that she was abused in custody and retaliated against with false criminal charges.

As the Bay Area Reporter previously reported the queer-owned law firm Medina Orthwein LLP is representing C. Jay Smith and filed the suit in United States District Court for the Northern District of California June 29.

The suit contains four counts.

The most serious is an allegation that officials at the Marin County prison had Smith, 59, charged with a crime in retaliation for her complaints about the sexual violence and repeated harassment.

“Under the guise of a[n] investigation into the assault, defendants ransacked Ms. Smith’s cell and left it open and unattended for other people in custody to steal her property,” the complaint states. “Defendants then caged Ms. Smith, like an animal, verbally berated her, threatened her with physical assault, sexually harassed and assaulted her, and issued her multiple fabricated Rules Violations Reports (RVR) riddled with glaring inconsistencies and due process violations.”

Smith was subsequently isolated for months, which led to two crisis bed admissions, the complaint states.

“I went to the mental health crisis bed and was totally beaten and broken,” Smith wrote in a recent letter to the B.A.R. “But soon I began to realize that [if] I worked hard on myself, the world has to offer some type of relief. ... I had to believe that I deserved to be safe from sexual predators and couldn’t allow anyone to abuse my body and take away what I worked so hard to accomplish in my life, so I began to fight.”

Subsequently, however, according to the complaint, defendants “placed a broken piece of art in her cell inside a piece of fabric, fabricating a weapon commonly referred to as a ‘slungshot.’”

“The art – a statue of a head with a graduation cap Ms. Smith’s friend gave her as motivation for her to complete her GED – had been in

Courtesy Medina Orthwein LLP

C. Jay Smith has sued officials at San Quentin State Prison.

Ms. Smith’s cell for years,” the complaint states.

“By placing the statue in the fabric, defendants used it to fabricate a ‘deadly weapon,’ of which they charged Ms. Smith with possession. The resulting RVR was referred to the district attorney’s office, which charged Ms. Smith with a crime that could add 10 more years of time to her sentence.”

Wrote Smith in her letter: “I was targeted for reporting my fear to my mental health providers.”

“Defendants’ campaign of torture and retaliation against Ms. Smith sent a message to future victims, especially transgender women housed in men’s facilities: do not report sexual violence or safety concerns or you, too, will be punished,” according to the complaint. “Ms. Smith’s case demonstrates that the ‘Me Too’ movement and the protections it has provided to women also needs to find its way to the violence and state-initiated torment transgender people face behind CDCR’s prison walls.”

The Marin County District Attorney’s office confirmed to the B.A.R. July 10 that a complaint of custodial possession of a weapon against Smith was made.

Smith has been incarcerated since 1998 on a 25

years-to life sentence with the possibility of parole, according to the complaint. She is now housed at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville.

Jennifer Orthwein, one of Smith’s attorneys, wouldn’t state on what charge Smith was convicted around that time, saying it is not relevant to her abuse in the prison system. In her letter to the B.A.R., Smith wrote that it was for assault with a deadly weapon with great bodily injury, which she stated was in self-defense.

“I was working the streets and a fight broke out between myself and the guy I was with,” Smith wrote. “He lied and said I hit him, when in fact it was the other way around. He beat me.”

According to Orthwein, Smith “was on a really promising path to parole” at the time of the possession of a deadly weapon charge. “[Smith] had just successfully completed the long-term offender program (LTOP) which is designed to prepare people with long sentences for parole,” Orthwein wrote in an email to the B.A.R. “She had also recently been accepted to the California Reentry Institute – which is only available at San Quentin and provides reentry support prior to and during parole. Most who are in this program do parole; however, when Ms. Smith was retaliated against, she also became ineligible for this program and subsequently transferred out of [San Quentin].”

Smith had not had any disciplinary reports “for a couple years,” Orthwein stated, adding that Smith “was in a leadership role at San Quentin prior to the retaliation.”

Orthwein said in a phone interview with the B.A.R. that both retaliation and anti-trans attitudes are common in the criminal justice system.

Other allegations

Another allegation in the lawsuit is that the officials at the prison failed to protect Smith from conditions that made her vulnerable to sexual harassment and assault, which the lawsuit states constitutes a violation of her Eighth Amendment constitutional right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment.

See page 8 >>

<< Community News

2 • Bay Area Reporter • August 6-12, 2020

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City College board votes to name facility after Britt

95 Units of Affordable Housing in AFFORDABLE SENIOR HOUSING for Rent in San Francisco

San Francisco’s Mission District!

CASA ADELANTE - 1296 Shotwell Street, San Francisco, CA 94110 8 one-bedroom rental units available at $1444/month 17 studio rental units available from $266 to $1,021 per month 45 two-bedroom rental units available at $1317 – $1606/month

by John Ferrannini 54 one-bedroom rental units available from $300 to $1,162 per month 42 three-bedroom rental units available at $1610 – $1770/month he City College of San Francisco • New Units with Modern Design + On-Site Amenities (laundry facilities, resident services, Board of Trustees unanimously Community room & kitchen, and landscaped outdoor spaces) passed a resolution July 30 to rename • Applicant’s household must meet the minimum monthly income • Head of household must be 62 years of age or older a facility at the community college for of two (2) times the rent and be able to demonstrate their ability Harry Britt, the late gay activist who • onHouseholds must have a minimum monthly income of two times the rent. *Section 8 & other to pay rent time. succeeded the city’s first gay supervisubsidy vouchers are exempt from this monthly income requirement.

• Households must earn no more than the income levels listed below sor, the late Harvey Milk, on the San • listed Households must earn no more than the income levels listed below, based on number of people based on number of people. Incomes are from the 2020 MOHCD Francisco Board of Supervisors. in your household: 50-60% AMI: Bill Wilson As the Bay Area Reporter previous ly reported, Britt died in June at the The Board of Supervisors in 2019 honored the late gay leader Harry 50% of Median Income age1 of 82 at Laguna2Honda Hospital. 3 Persons Britt, seated, on the 40th anniversary of his appointment to the Size Person Persons One person -$44,850; 2 persons - $51,250; 3 Household persons - $57,650; In 1979 then-mayor Dianne Feinstein legislative body.

4 persons - $64,050; 5 persons - $69,200; 6 personsannual - $74,300; Maximum income $43,100 $49,250 $55,450 appointed Britt to the Board of Super7 persons - $79,450

visors following the November 1978 body: Board of Trustees President people spoke in favor of the buildassassination of Milk.

55% of Applications can be downloaded from San Francisco Housing Portal- DAHLIA at http://housing.sfgov.org Median Income Shanell Williams, a bisexual woman; ing naming proposal during public or picked up from one of the housing counseling agencies listed at http://housing.sfgov.org/housingBritt won election four times to his One person - $49,300; 2 persons - $56,400; 3 persons - $63,400; Vice President Tom Temprano; and comment, including Sue Englander, a counselors.

4 persons - $70,450; 5 persons - $76,100; 6 persons - $81,750; seat and served as the board’s first gay board member Alex Randolph, who bisexual former leader of the Harvey 7 persons - $87,350 president. He opted not to seek re are gay men.

Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club. election in 1992 and stepped down in Applications must be received by 5PM on Wednesday, September 11, 2019. Postmarks will not be “Many of us had the privilege of “Harry was a friend of mine. Har60% ofconsidered. Apply online to ensure your application is received on time.

Median Income early January 1993. getting to know Harry Britt and learn vey passed the torch to Harry in a tape One person - $53,800; 2 persons - $61,500; 3 persons - $69,200; Which facility will be named for

first-hand about tremendous work he recorded will before his 1978 assas4 persons - $76,850; 5 persons - $83,000; 6 persons - $89,150; Britt was not specified in the resolution Applications must either be submitted online at http://housing.sfgov.org or mailed in with a selfdid on behalf of the queer community sination,” said Englander, a historian 7 persons - $95,300 and will be decided by a pre-existing addressed stamped envelope to: Casa Adelante-BMR, P.O. Box 420847, San Francisco, CA 94142 and all marginalized communities in who helps convene an annual conferprocess for naming buildings, accordSan Francisco,” Temprano stated. “By ence about LGBTQ aging issues. “We, 1st, 5PM. Apply online though the APPLICATION DUE SEPTEMBER ing to trustee John Rizzo. The resoluDAHLIA San Francisco Housing Portal - housing.sfgov.org naming a building at City College after as former students and current faculty Free Information Session tion directs the college’s chancellor to former Supervisor Britt, we are creatand engaged citizens, ask you to honTuesday, August 27th at 3:00pm – 5:00pm begin that process. It will be the second Lottery: Wednesday, September 16th, 2020 ing a lasting tool to teach future genor our mentor.”

San Francisco Main Library-Koret Auditorium educational facility in the city named erations of students and visitors about Trustee Brigitte Davila said of the 100 Larkin St. San Francisco, CA 94102 Lotteries are closed to the public. after a gay leader, as the San Francisco who he was and how he changed our resolution, “hopefully this is not too at housing.sfgov.org.

View lottery results public school district in 1996 renamed city and our LGBTQ movement.” controversial.”

Lottery (Attendance is optional) an elementary school in the Castro afnd Randolph praised Britt in a statement Randolph said he was “proud to For more building October 2 information at 2:00pm please contact ter Milk, as he had represented the LGth to the B.A.R. early last week. introduce this with our other queer Chinatown Community Development Center at (415) 810-4036 MOHCD, 1 South Van Ness 5 Floor BTQ district at City Hall.

“The progressive values of civil trustees.” He added that his “hope is or 2060folsom@chinatowncdc.org.

San Francisco, CA 94013 The idea for the resolution came rights, protections for those often by the November-December board

from gay former Assemblyman and left behind, and seeing education as meeting we will have a building All applicants are encouraged to apply. Please see the project For more building information, please contact William Yee at (415) 984-1450 or San Francisco supervisor Tom Amposting at housing.sfgov.org for applicable lottery preferences. a pathway to a better life Harry Britt identified.”

1296shotwell@chinatowncdc.org. miano and gay former City College fought for his entire career are exactly Student trustee Vick Van Chung the San Francisco Mayor’s Office Units are monitored through trustee Tim Wolfred, Ammiano told what we strive for at City College of offered an amendment asking that All applicants are encouraged to apply. Please see the project posting at http://housing.sfgov.org for applicable of Housing and Community Development and are subject to monitoring the B.A.R. in an email July 31.

San Francisco,” he said. “I can’t think Britt’s name be alongside the name of lottery preferences. Units are monitored through the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community and other restrictions.

“It’s great,” he wrote of the trustees of a better way to honor Harry and at a Black transgender woman on whatDevelopment and are subject to monitoring and other restrictions. passing the resolution. the same time inspire future generaever facility is renamed.

Ammiano and Wolfred were two of tions of students, staff, and faculty to “Black trans women may not have

Reasonable Accommodations upon request the people who assisted Britt over the pursue those goals as well.” had the same recognition or opportuyears as his health declined.

Williams wrote in an August 1 text nity to hold office,” Chung said. “The The community college district message that Britt “will always be removement for LGBT rights, too often, two years ago renamed a street that membered as a social justice champion.” has been whitewashed.” runs through its Ocean campus after “He exemplified the values of City Randolph said that a resolution the internationally renowned bisexual College of San Francisco and I am calling for something else at the colMexican artist Frida Kahlo. proud to showcase leaders like him lege to be named for a Black trans THIS IS THE The resolution to honor Britt was across our campuses,” she added. woman could be considered at a fuintroduced by the three LGBTQ During the meeting, which was ture date and the amendment was members of the college’s oversight held virtually via Zoom, several withdrawn.t

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san francisco

Columbariu M Funeral Home and

formerly the Neptune Society

SF Leather & LGBTQ Cultural District hires new manager

by John Ferrannini

role as we work toward our goal of establishing a perhe San Francisco manent community center Leather and LGBTQ in SOMA,” he added. “His Cultural District Board of connections to diverse Directors has selected a communities will increase new district manager. our organization’s diversity Cal Callahan, a 67-yearboth internally and to the old gay man, has had over constituents we serve.”

20 years of experience in In a follow up phone inCourtesy Leather & LGBTQ Cultural District nonprofits and was “interview August 3 with the strumental in the growth Cal Callahan Bay Area Reporter, Goldof PRC’s Bare Chest Calfarb said there was a lot of endar” as that nonprofit’s interest in the position. director of community engagement, “We had probably 60 applicants – according to an August 2 news release and that’s not an exact number, it’s an from the cultural district. estimate – and we interviewed four of Callahan has lived in the Bay Area them,” Goldfarb said. “We called two of for 37 years and his tenure as district them back for additional interviews.” manager began “at the beginning of Callahan said in a phone call with August,” the release stated. the B.A.R. August 3 that he was The previous manager, Beth Hunt, “thrilled” when he found out he got resigned to move to the East Coast to the position. be closer to family, the release added.

“I’ve had a connection with the Robert Goldfarb, a gay man who SOMA kink community for many is the president of the cultural disyears. I have known how much Beth entrict’s board, stated that Callahan joyed doing the job, as her friend, and so has the network to help build up the it seemed natural for me when it came cultural district. up,” Callahan said. “This is quite close “We are thrilled to name a new to what my dream job would look like.” district manager with such deep comThe Leather and LGBTQ Cultural munity connections and experience District, which encompasses some of who will help lead our organization the South of Market neighborhood, was on a path to being a cultural hub in established in 2018 to help offset some SOMA,” Goldfarb stated. of the effects of gentrification in the “We cast a wide net in our search area, which many large tech companies and believe that Cal’s management and and their employees have made their fundraising skills will play an essential home in the past decade. It is the first

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leather district of its kind in the world.

The city has two other queer districts, the Castro LGBTQ Cultural District and the Transgender District in the Tenderloin.

As the B.A.R. previously reported, many businesses in the leather district are struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Callahan said that and “issues of diversity and inclusion” are the most pressing issues the district currently faces.

“The businesses are hurting, the residents are hurting, and so that is our short-term focus: to help as many businesses and residents get through this as possible,” Callahan said. “Also, issues of diversity and inclusion. What is needed is that feeling of inclusion – respecting the past of the district and moving the district forward.”

Jack Thompson, who in 2019 became the first trans person of color to win International Mr. Leather, praised the appointment in the release.

Thompson lives in Baltimore.

“Without needing to know anything about me, Cal showed me kindness and support. He shows it to everyone around him,” Thompson said.

“I am so happy for him to be able to show that same kindness and support to the entire community as district manager for the Leather and LGBTQ Cultural District. I couldn’t think of anyone better suited for this position.”

The district manager’s salary is $76,000 per year, Goldfarb said.t

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National News>>

August 6-12, 2020 • Bay Area Reporter • 3

Campaign will seek US postal stamps for 3 drag icons

by Matthew S. Bajko

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campaign will launch in August seeking to see the U.S. Postal Service issue stamps honoring three deceased drag icons who have become heroic figures within the LGBTQ community. Under the rules for issuing commemorative stamps, the soonest the trio could be honored with their own postage would likely be in 2024.

The national effort will press for the federal agency to create postage featuring Jose Julio Sarria, Marsha P. Johnson, and Sylvia Rivera. They would be the first such stamps issued in honor of drag performers.

Sarria, who died in 2013 at the age of 90, was a legendary San Franciscobased drag queen who founded the Imperial Court in 1965. The Latino Army veteran had made history four years prior as the first out gay person to seek elective office in the U.S. with his ultimately unsuccessful bid for a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

Rivera, who died in 2002 at the age of 50, and Johnson, who died in 1992 at the age of 46, both were drag performers and prominent participants in the Stonewall uprising of 1969.

They would go on to become revered vocal advocates for gay and transgender issues up until their deaths.

Johnson, who was Black, and Ri-

<<

Tracy

From page 1

Stonewall uprising was a unanimous 5-0 decision, this year’s vote to fly it for the whole month was 4-1. Afterward the council voted to ban the raising of “any flag” for a month, which Arriola objected to since it only impacted the flying of the Pride flag, and in late July the council rescinded the policy.

Frameline, Rick Gerharter, and the Sylvia Rivera Law Project.

A campaign will seek postage stamps for drag icons Marsha P. Johnson, Jose Julio Sarria, and Sylvia Rivera.

Six years ago the U.S. Postal Service released the first stamp to honor an

American for their role in the fight for LGBT rights, which featured the late gay San Francisco supervisor Harvey Milk. This week, the agency issued the first stamps to feature images of drag by including two depictions of the cartoon character Bugs Bunny in women’s clothing.

It was the Bay Area Reporter’s coverage of the Bugs Bunny stamps, part of a special pane of 20 stamps commemorating the animated rabbit’s 80th birthday that prompted San Diego resident Nicole Murray Ramirez to decide to launch the campaign for stamps hon-

“So just that tells me there are still issues with people’s perceptions of the LGBTQ community in my city,” Arriola told the B.A.R. During his school board race four years ago, Arriola was outed just days prior to the election by a local blogger who posted photos of Arriola at Los Angeles Pride under a headline asking how he could “represent Tracy family values.” He won by more than 2,000 votes, which Arriola said was “a bit of

a landslide” victory in the city.

“I think that Tracy has always had this historic idea it was a very small town. I am not sure that reflects the current reality today,” he said. “As we have grown as a city we need to be really thinking about how our policies grow alongside that. The demographics of the city have changed substantially since I was a kid. We are a minority-majority city, as there are more Latino than white residents.”

vera, the child of a Puerto Rican father and Venezuelan mother, co-founded Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries to provide support to poor young people in New York City who were shunned by their families, as the New York Times noted in a story last year about city officials planning to install a monument featuring the close friends not far from the Stonewall Inn.

Milk the first LGBTQ stamp

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oring Sarria, Johnson, and Rivera.

Murray Ramirez chaired the national Milk stamp campaign and, since 2014, has also led the effort to honor the late Black gay civil rights leader Bayard Rustin with his own stamp.

Asked about the Bugs Bunny stamps, Murray Ramirez replied, “While this is a ‘cute’ move by the National Stamp Commission and US Postal Dept. we look forward to stamps in honor of true drag queens/ TRANS heroes like Jose Julio Sarria, Sylvia Rivera, and Marsha P. Johnson.”

Following the publication of the B.A.R.’s story, the International Imperial Court System announced on its Facebook page last Thursday that Murray Ramirez would officially announce the stamp campaign for the trio of drag icons this week. Known as the Queen Mother I of the Americas and Nicole the Great within the Imperial Court System, Murray Ramirez leads the philanthropic organization within the drag community.

“An official announcement of the national campaign to honor these drag queens/ transgender American heroes with a stamp will be announced next week,” stated the July 30 post.

Murray Ramirez told the B.A.R. that signing on as honorary national co-chairs of the postage campaign are Judy and Dennis Sheppard, the

parents of Matthew Sheppard, a gay Wyoming college student whose death in 1998 stunned the country and led to the passage of federal hate crimes legislation that covered sexual orientation.

The U.S. Postal Services’ Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee recommends ideas for the commemorative stamps that the agency releases each year. It is then up to the U.S. postmaster general to make a final determination.

According to the committee’s website, ideas for stamp subjects should be received at least three or more years prior to the proposed issuance year.

Only deceased individuals are eligible to be featured on a stamp, and they can’t be honored in such a manner until three years following their death.

The approval process for new stamps “takes about three years but the timing can vary,” noted postal service spokeswoman Mauresa R. Pittman in an emailed reply July 31.

If the committee decides not to recommend a subject for issuance as a stamp, the proposal can be submitted again for reconsideration following a three-year interval, according to its stamp selection process rules.

“The Postal Service will honor extraordinary and enduring contributions to American society, history, culture, or environment,” states the committee. t

Having already won two citywide elections, Arriola’s sexual orientation doesn’t seem to be an issue with a majority of Tracy voters. The mayoral race is likely to be determined more on where he and the other candidates stand on various issues, like housing and transportation. Arriola is a proponent of transit-oriented housing development in the city’s downtown near where new rail connections are planned to better connect residents to

jobs in the Bay Area and Sacramento.

“We need to move away from this single-family unit of housing and more toward higher density and more toward affordable housing and more towards a variety of housing options for people who live here,” he said.

On the council Arriola has pushed a number of progressive proposals, from police reforms and renewable See page 8 >>

<< Open Forum

4 • Bay Area Reporter • August 6-12, 2020

Volume 50, Number 32 August 6-12, 2020 www.ebar.com

PUBLISHER Michael M. Yamashita Thomas E. Horn, Publisher Emeritus (2013) Publisher (2003 – 2013) Bob Ross, Founder (1971 – 2003) NEWS EDITOR Cynthia Laird CULTURE EDITOR Jim Provenzano ASSISTANT EDITORS Matthew S. Bajko • John Ferrannini CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Tavo Amador • Roger Brigham Brian Bromberger • Victoria A. Brownworth Philip Campbell • Heather Cassell Michael Flanagan • Jim Gladstone Liz Highleyman • Lisa Keen Matthew Kennedy • David Lamble David-Elijah Nahmod • Paul Parish Tim Pfaff • Jim Piechota • Gregg Shapiro Gwendolyn Smith •Sari Staver • Charlie Wagner Ed Walsh • Cornelius Washington • Sura Wood

ART DIRECTION Max Leger PRODUCTION/DESIGN Ernesto Sopprani PHOTOGRAPHERS Jane Philomen Cleland • FBFE Rick Gerharter • Gareth Gooch Jose Guzman-Colon • Rudy K. Lawidjaja Georg Lester • Rich Stadtmiller • Fred Rowe Steven Underhill • Bill Wilson ILLUSTRATORS & CARTOONISTS Christine Smith

VICE PRESIDENT OF ADVERTISING Scott Wazlowski – 415.829.8937

NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE Rivendell Media – 212.242.6863

LEGAL COUNSEL Paul H. Melbostad, Esq.

Raise an inclusive Castro flag

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he Castro Merchants, the organization of neighborhood businesses that oversees the iconic rainbow flag flying at Castro and Market streets, should consider installing a more inclusive version of the global symbol of LGBTQ rights. Given the recent attention on racism and other issues at bars in the area, it’s timely for an updated, inclusive flag that would send a strong symbolic message of the values that the community strives to uphold. Over the years, we’ve reported on disagreements over whether to lower the flag to half-staff to honor deaths or debates over various proposals to raise other flags like the transgender flag on Transgender Day of Remembrance, the leather pride flag for the Folsom Street Fair, or the American flag on Veterans Day. Two new flag designs that are variations of the rainbow flag have been growing in popularity and use: the Philadelphia People of Color Inclusive flag, which adds black and brown stripes representing queer people of color, and the Progress Pride flag, which goes further by adding black and brown and the transgender flag colors in sideways chevrons on the left.

The late Gilbert Baker, who co-created the first rainbow flags with his friends Lynn Segerblom and the late James McNamara in 1978, campaigned for 10 years to get the Castro flagpole erected. He believed that the flag should not be lowered and considered it art. Baker died in 2017, but we’d like to think that he’d support a flag design that expands inclusivity.

Racism in the Castro is not new.

Even before the Badlands discrimination case in 2004, our archive reveals reporting on mistreatment of people of color at what were then known as gay bars by requiring multiple IDs, enforcing dress codes, or simply refusing entry. In the Badlands case, which resulted in sustained weekly protests for months, an investigation by the San Francisco Human Rights Commission found that the nightclub was discriminating against African Americans. The findings were never official, however, because the HRC executive director at the time did not sign off on the staff

Rick Gerharter

The rainbow flag flies at Castro and Market streets.

report. Owner Les Natali and the complainants eventually reached a confidential settlement. Natali has consistently denied the accusations and last week said the bar – shuttered now because of the novel coronavirus pandemic – would permanently close and a new establishment, under new ownership, would open in its place later this year – that, of course, depends on when public health orders will allow bars to reopen.

On July 30, the newly formed Bay Area Queer Nightlife Coalition held a four-hour public meeting that included owners or representatives from five LGBTQ bars, three of which are in the Castro.

Hundreds of people watched the online forum on Twitch. Most Castro bars in a survey conducted by the coalition scored poorly on the inclusivity ranking and only slightly better on safety. During the meeting, owners of The Edge acknowledged that the session had been “eye-opening” and said they would devise an actionable plan to address concerns. A former bartender said he was called the N-word on more than one occasion, and so did someone who patronized the bar. Representatives from Badlands and Toad Hall, two establishments that Natali owns, said that Natali had signed a pledge of inclusivity. (He was not on the meeting, but the other employees said they want to move forward. Badlands scored last in the coalition’s survey in both categories.)

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The flag at Market and Castro streets is prominently displayed and greets visitors arriving in the neighborhood. Merchants and residents have always attempted to project a more welcoming image and atmosphere, which is more urgent now in order to reverse the economic damage done to bars and restaurants due to the shutdown and restriction on indoor service because of COVID-19. An inclusive flag should be a centerpiece of several enhancements to the neighborhood.

Oakland Pride this week updated its logo to include the black and brown, and the pink, blue, and white colors of the trans flag. Officials said that it is the first major Pride organization to do so. Over Pride Month in June, some cities in suburban Contra Costa County opted to fly the Philly flag, as did the East Bay Municipal Utility District headquarters in Oakland. Sacramento flew the Progress flag.

As we recently reported, petitions were started in June to change the flag that flies over Harvey Milk Plaza. To date, there has not been a formal response from the Castro Merchants business group. We report regularly on rainbow flag thefts, government agencies that won’t let them be raised, and other related news: It’s clear that the flag means a lot to people, and it should. An inclusive flag extends pride to more people; it says, “You matter.”

It will take a commitment to diversity from business leaders to make this happen, and a serious effort would set a deadline – the Castro Street Fair, which is scheduled for October 4, seems appropriate even though it’s likely it will be a virtual affair. Raising a new flag design could be an opportunity to launch a comprehensive campaign that includes pledges from all businesses in the district that they are welcoming to everyone – LGBTQ and straight alike; Black, Brown and Indigenous people; Asians, Native Americans, and those with disabilities; young and old – without the epithets, misgendering, and other terrible things that people have experienced over the years.

Symbolism is important (otherwise Confederate statues would not be toppling across the country). It’s time that the flag in the Castro changes to reflect all of us. t

HHS copay rule threatens HIVers

by Tez Anderson

T

Bay Area Reporter

t

he survival of people dealing with life-threatening illnesses such as HIV/AIDS often depends on affordable access to prescription medications. Our organization, Let’s Kick ASS – AIDS Survivor Syndrome, is concerned that a recent change in the federal rules regarding copay assistance and health plan out-of-pocket maximums will make drugs more expensive. Affordability is a top concern for both patients and caregivers.

Meaningful access to health care is especially important for people living with HIV and those seeking to proactively protect themselves from infections using pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP. The COVID-19 pandemic is already a big concern for HIV/AIDS patients across the country, and without access to antiretroviral medications due to poor policy changes, can have a lasting, devastating effect on the community.

This year marks the 24th anniversary of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART), the treatment strategy that changed HIV from a death sentence to what is now classified as a “chronic manageable illness.” It consists of a customized combination of different medications that physicians tailor to the individual characteristics of each patient’s disease. It is taken every day for life and can be expensive. The cost of antiviral treatment for HIV has jumped 34% since 2012, four times the rate of inflation. Even with new generic drug options, the yearly cost of treating an HIV patient is still more than $36,000, according to one study.

Obviously, without adequate insurance coverage, this lifesaving treatment could be unaffordable for many HIV/AIDS patients. That is why a new policy in the 2021 Notice of Benefits and Payment Parameters (NBPP) finalized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is so concerning. This new rule allows insurance companies to utilize accumulator adjustment programs, limiting the value of the critical support drug companies provide patients in the form of manufacturer assistance programs, even if that could have deadly consequences for them.

Under current HHS directives, insurers are required to include the value of copay assistance

Courtesy Tez Anderson

Tez Anderson

when calculating the payments a patient makes before the total out-of-pocket expense limit is met and insurance pays the entire cost of treatment. But now HHS wants to change that policy to allow insurers to exclude copay assistance from the out-ofpocket maximum.

The idea behind this change, from the government’s view, is to encourage patients to choose a less expensive generic alternative to a brand name drug. The current policy accomplishes that costcutting goal by allowing companies to exclude copay assistance when a workable generic is available. But for many drugs, including some that enable HIV/AIDS patients to stay healthy and live productive lives, no generic exists. Without cost-sharing assistance, patients must continue to pay high out-of-pocket costs until they have met their maximums. In a high deductible health plan, or HDHP, this can be around $6,900 for an individual, a difficult threshold to meet, which forces the beneficiary to pick up the tab at the pharmacy. If policymakers move forward with the 2021 NBPP, patients could be looking at up to thousands of dollars in additional drug costs when their copay assistance is used up and their maximum has not been reached.

Furthermore, the accumulator adjustment

program gives power to insurers and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMS) by allowing them to decide if the patient assistance programs can count towards the maximum out-of-pocket limit. While you would hope these groups would choose to accept cost-sharing assistance programs and help patients, many instead pocket the discounts. This shifts the costs onto patients and may force them to either ration medications or abandon their prescriptions. Not only will this lead to devastating effects on patients, but also it will lead to poorer health outcomes for the entire health system.

All patients, regardless of what type of medical challenges they face, deserve affordable access to their prescription medications. It should not be up to the government or insurance company cost cutters to pick and choose which drugs a patient receives and which they are denied. Now more than ever, it is imperative that treatments and medication remain accessible and affordable and ensure the HIV/AIDS community has the resources and support to recover from the health, economic, and social impacts of COVID-19.

Let’s Kick ASS urges everyone to join us in speaking out against accumulator adjustment programs and encourage employers and insurance companies to refrain from implementing them in 2021. Finally, we urge members of California’s congressional delegation to join Representative A. Donald McEachin’s (DVirginia) bill, H.R. 7647, as co-sponsors. This bill would delay this most harmful portion of the NBPP guidelines to provide vital relief to patients during this pandemic. Moving forward from this health crisis, we must aim to put patients before profits and protect those in need. t Tez Anderson is the founder of Let’s Kick ASS – AIDS Survivor Syndrome. Based in San Francisco, there are chapters in Portland, Oregon; Palm Springs, California; and Austin, Texas. For more information, visit https://letskickass.hiv/.

Politics >>

by Matthew S. Bajko

T

he former campaign manager for Shahid Buttar, the democratic socialist running against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), is breaking her silence about what she describes as a “toxic workplace environment” and a candidate uninterested in winning election to Congress.

The former manager spoke out ahead of an August 4 vote by the local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America to rescind its endorsement of Buttar. Sources said it was a landslide.

The SF Berniecrats are set to vote August 5 on rescinding its endorsement of the embattled candidate. Meanwhile, the progressive Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club is deciding this month on its endorsement in the November election, having endorsed none of the 12th House District candidates in the March primary race.

In a lengthy post on the website Medium Tuesday, Jasper Wilde goes into detail about why she decided to quit Buttar’s campaign this spring.

She was one of 13 former campaign staffers who left due to what they have contended was Buttar’s misogynistic behavior toward his female employees, as the Bay Area Reporter first reported online July 21.

“Truly, I left the Shahid Buttar campaign because it was a toxic workplace environment in which personal and professional boundaries were repeatedly violated,” wrote Wilde.

“Personally, I was driven by a moral imperative to remove myself from a campaign, due to a candidate who was purposely misleading his staff, volunteers, donors, and voters.”

Buttar, 45, has publicly denied the accusations in media interviews, social media, and in phone calls he has made in recent weeks to his campaign donors and volunteers. As he told the B.A.R. last month, the former campaign personnel were “not terribly loyal” to him and had been hostile to the campaign’s volunteers.

“The departure of my earlier staff was driven particularly by my concerns centered around their inability to promote the vision of the campaign,” said Buttar, a cisgender heterosexual man who also identifies as queer due to his gender expression being fluid.

He voiced similar critiques of the former staffers during a candidate interview with the Milk club’s political action committee in late July when it interviewed him virtually along with a number of other candidates running in fall races who are seeking its endorsement. The allegations by his former campaign team came as a “surprise,” said Buttar, who added he wanted “to particularly just apologize for the experiences that people might have had with me that landed in those terms.”

Buttar added he was taking the allegations “very seriously” and had been talking to various people about how he had “shown up on the campaign team.”

“And all I can say is that I’m eager to learn. And again, not proud of how I was experienced in that way,” Buttar told the Milk club PAC. “We certainly had lots of challenging conversations on the team. We had very profound strategic differences.”

Denies harassment accusation

Buttar also reiterated his assertion that there is no validity to the allegations made by actor and comic Elizabeth Croydon that he sexually harassed her when he lived in Washington, D.C. in the early 2000s.

“I know the harassment didn’t happen and I feel secure in that because that’s a truth that I would have had to

Courtesy Jasper Wilde

Congressional candidate Shahid Buttar, left, and his former campaign manager Jasper Wilde attended the opening of his campaign office.

have participated in,” Buttar told the Milk club PAC. Since Croydon went public with her allegations last month, a number of progressive activists in the D.C. area have claimed she has falsely accused others of sexual harassment. She has responded that their open letter is part of a smear campaign orchestrated by Buttar’s campaign, which he denies.

A volunteer on Buttar’s campaign has also complained that the former campaign staffers helped spread a false story in which the candidate demanded he be given her phone number in order to set her up with a male donor.

The woman, who requested to remain anonymous, told the B.A.R. that in fact she had asked to be connected with the person as he was another volunteer and she wanted to assist him in putting up campaign signs around town.

“I don’t want to discredit anyone else’s story, but don’t make me a part of it or use this fabricated story as a way to get other people to come forward with their own claims,” said the woman in describing text messages she had sent to Patrick Cochran, the campaign’s former volunteer coordinator. “It will only hurt the other claims that might be true.”

She also shared the texts with the B.A.R. Cochran told the B.A.R. this week that he initially brought up the allegation during a DSA meeting due to believing it to be true and having relevance in light of Croydon’s coming forward. He had contacted the female volunteer to ask her directly about it but didn’t hear back for several days and when she denied the story, he said it was not included in the formal resolution requesting that the DSA chapter rescind its endorsement.

But the story began circulating, and several of the former staffers told the B.A.R. the incident raises concerns about how volunteers’ contact information was handled. And a copy of the DSA resolution posted online claims that Buttar “has exhibited a pattern of abuse including but not limited to sexual inappropriate behavior with his staff and volunteers.”

When the B.A.R. first contacted Wilde last month, she declined to comment because she had signed a contract that included a non-disparagement clause. Since then the NDA clause has been terminated.

In interviews with the press last month, Buttar had said his campaign did not use NDAs, and when asked about it by the Milk club PAC, he said none currently do. He acknowledged that Wilde’s contract included one but insisted it was meant to prevent the disclosure of supporters’ private information and not to bar Wilde

from discussing her own experience working on the campaign.

Wilde, 30, a genderqueer person who uses female pronouns, told the B.A.R. she decided to break her silence in order to address progressives outside of San Francisco whom she feels have been too quick to dismiss the allegations raised about Buttar.

“I wanted to release this statement because I felt like I had the moral responsibility to say something. I see that San Francisco progressives are quickly turning away from him, but I am not seeing the same thing happen with the online progressive community,” said Wilde, who has been hired to help manage the campaigns of two local ballot measures that District 6 Supervisor Matt Haney sponsored.

“I think it is important for us as leftists to be clear about what we do and don’t accept in our movement. We should not accept Shahid Buttar or his behavior.”

In her Medium post Wilde noted that Buttar had sought her out last year to run his campaign, his second against Pelosi. He first ran against her in 2018 but failed to survive the primary.

She did so, wrote Wilde, thinking Buttar had the same electoral chances as other progressive candidates seen at first as long shots that went on to win like Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. Due to California using a jungle primary system where only the top two votegetters go on to the general election, Buttar had been seen as being the first progressive candidate to mount a serious challenge against Pelosi since she first was elected.

Instead, Wilde wrote that she spent much of the time fighting with Buttar over strategy, messaging, fundraising, campaign tactics, and events. The result was “chaos on the campaign,” she wrote.

“I found myself in a one-sided intimate relationship with a candidate who defined himself as vehemently against incumbent Nancy Pelosi, but who struggled to articulate a platform for himself,” wrote Wilde.

“Behind closed campaign doors, he didn’t seem to be against the Democratic establishment any more so than he was against any other entity that he felt intimidated by.”

And Wilde was critical of how Buttar has handled himself since the allegations became public more than two weeks ago.

“I never expected the campaign I poured my hopes and energy into would end due to allegations of sexual assault and media ploys intended to discredit me and others in order to try to save his campaign,” wrote Wilde. “Instead of owning up to and addressing allegations head-on, Shahid has tried to escape responsibility for his actions by discrediting me, sexual harassment survivor Elizabeth Croydon, and anyone else who came forward with allegations or characterizations that don’t fall in line with the image he projected.”t Web Extra: For more queer political news, be sure to check http:// www.ebar.com Monday mornings for Political Notes, the notebook’s online companion. This week’s column reported on an abortion rights group and a statewide LGBT advocacy organization endorsing a number of out candidates across California.

Keep abreast of the latest LGBT political news by following the Political Notebook on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/politicalnotes Got a tip on LGBT politics? Call Matthew S. Bajko at (415) 8298836 or e-mail m.bajko@ebar.com

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August 6-12, 2020 • Bay Area Reporter • 5

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NCLR receives $3M grant from philanthropist compiled by Cynthia Laird

T

he National Center for Lesbian Rights announced that it has received a $3 million major gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.

It’s part of Scott’s pledge to give away a majority of her wealth through the Giving Pledge. Scott is the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and is one of the richest women in the world.

The gift to NCLR was part of $117 million that Scott gave to 116 nonprofits, according to an NCLR news release.

NCLR officials stated that Scott awarded it the funds because of “transformative work” the agency has done in the area of LGBTQ+ equity.

Spokesman Christopher Vasquez told the Bay Area Reporter that the impact grant will be paid over three years.

“NCLR is immensely honored to be a recipient of MacKenzie Scott’s incredible philanthropic journey,” Executive Director Imani Rupert-Gordon stated. “In a world where wealth distribution isn’t equitable, Scott’s commitment and practice of sharing power, privilege, and resources makes us all stronger.”

Scott said that she had made major gifts to organizations that are “driving change,” covering a range of issues including racial, LGBTQ, and gender equity; economic mobility; functional democracy; public health; global development; and climate change.

NCLR noted that the funds will allow the organization to continue to provide COVID-19-related services to queer people, including creating policies to decarcerate vulnerable LGBTQ youth during the pandemic and collaborating with the National LGBTQ Anti-Poverty Action Network to connect queer people with COVID-19 resources.

Seamus Doheny

NCLR Executive Director Imani Rupert-Gordon

SF HRC to hold trans forum

The San Francisco Human Rights Commission will hold a public forum Thursday, August 6, centering the transgender and nonbinary communities in the city.

The online event takes place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. It is being conducted in partnership with the San Francisco District Attorney’s office, the Transgender District, El/La Para Translatinas, and TAJA’s Coalition.

The forum is expected to discuss hate crimes and incidents against trans and nonbinary people and other topics.

To register, go to https://zoom. us/meeting/register/tJcrduqvqDkiH9ys2ejP-xPlmnV9S_8VKb9u.

Castro LGBTQ district to hold final board elections

The Castro LGBTQ Cultural District will hold its last election for advisory board members next month and deadlines are approaching for those interested in running.

There were two other elections for board members OTSF.expo-BARad- 2020.qxp_Layout 1 7/29/20 12:54 PMearlier Page this 1 year.

This third election was delayed due to the novel coronavirus pandemic and will be conducted online.

There will be a virtual working group meeting to discuss the election Saturday, August 8, from noon to 2 p.m. It will include time to discuss and review election procedures and answer questions from people interested in running. It will also identify gaps in the board’s desired diversity, skills, and resources and create an action plan to fill those gaps.

Five board seats will be open for election on Saturday, September 19, from noon to 3 p.m. Nominations are expected to open after this weekend’s meeting. The deadline to file is Saturday, August 29. More information on the election is expected in early September.

Interested advisory board members should be able to commit five to 10 hours per week, attend monthly meetings, and serve on committees.

Ten board members have already been seated and have been working on projects such as securing city funds. The district is also expected to hire its first manager soon.

For more information, go to https://castrolgbtq.org/meet/.

Conversation with Atkins

The Public Policy Institute of California will have lesbian state Senate President pro tempore Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) as its guest for its virtual speaker series Friday, August 7, from 11 a.m. to noon.

Atkins will join PPIC’s Mark Baldassare for a wide-ranging conversation about challenges facing California during the COVID-19 pandemic and the role of leadership in difficult times.

The event is free. To register, go to https://bit.ly/2EFCsyo.

A program of the Richmond/Ermet Aid Foundation

Saturday August 15, 12:30-4:30pm Virtual Event: ourtownsf.org/nonprofit-expo The World’s Largest LGBTQ Resource Fair!

Over 150 groups who serve our community from all over the Bay Area plus thousands of attendees MEDIA SPONSORS San Francisco Bay Times, Bay Area Reporter GOLD LEVEL SPONSOR District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman SILVER LEVEL SPONSOR Golden Gate Business Association, Kirk Dahle of Vanguard Properties, Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Granite Solutions Groupe, Gilead GENERAL SPONSORS TIN Rx Pharmacy, AT&T, Wallbeds “n” More, Alto Pharmacy, Market Street Optometry, Maitri, Shanti COMMUNITY SPONSORS Richmond/Ermet Aid Foundation, The Logo Show, The Academy

This year’s theme for the August 29-30 event is “Equality Rising.”

In an email, organizers said that 1-minute videos will be considered of people showing their fashion, art, or dance moves.

The deadline has been extended to Saturday, August 8. People can submit their videos by going to https://www. svpride.com/submit.

Courtesy Oakland Pride

Oakland Pride unveiled its new logo Sunday, August 2.

Oakland Pride unveils new logo

Oakland Pride unveiled its new logo Sunday, August 2, incorporating the colors of the Progress flag to include Black, Brown, Indigenous, and trans people alongside the six familiar rainbow flag colors.

The organization stated that it’s the first major Pride celebration to use its logo to prominently embrace inclusivity with the added Progress colors.

The new logo will be part of Oakland Pride’s virtual celebration that will take place September 6-13. The organization announced in June that its in-person Pride festivities would move online due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“We owe so much of our rights and freedoms we enjoy today to the sacrifices and leadership of Black, Indigenous, people of color, and transgender women,” Carlos Uribe, Oakland Pride executive director, stated in an August 2 news release.

The first rainbow flags were created in 1978 by the Gilbert Baker and his friends, Lynn Segerblom and James McNamara, according to a 2018 Bay Area Reporter article. Baker died in 2017.

McNamara died of AIDSrelated complications in 1999. Those early flags included more colors and other items, such as stars, than the standard six, which Baker turned into an international symbol of LGBTQ rights.

Oakland Pride’s release stated that Baker had assigned meaning to each of the six colors commonly used today: red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for nature, blue for harmony, and violet for spirit.

(Some of Baker’s flags also included turquoise, which represented magic.)

In 2017, Philadelphia Pride partnered with Amber Hikes, a queer Black social justice advocate, to include black and brown on the rainbow flag, Oakland Pride’s release stated. At the time Hikes led the More Pride More Color campaign, according to her Wikipedia entry. She also led Philadelphia’s Office of LGBT Affairs. She is now the chief equity and inclusion officer for the American Civil Liberties Union.

Graphic designer Daniel Quasar added a five colored-chevron to the rainbow flag to place greater emphasis on “inclusion and progression,” Oakland Pride’s release noted. That flag is generally referred to as the Progress flag.

“Oakland Pride’s new logo embraces LGBTQ+ history, resilience, joy, and our communities’ continued pursuit of justice,” the release states.

“It’s a recognition and celebration of the diversity and intersectionality within the LGBTQ+ community.”

For updates on Oakland Pride, visit www.oaklandpride.org or visit its Facebook or Instagram pages.

Silicon Valley Pride seeks videos

In other Bay Area Pride news, Silicon Valley Pride is seeking videos for its virtual celebration. The South Bay Pride organization also announced in June that it was moving the festivities online due to the health crisis.

Davis to speak at Courage CA event

Courage California will have a virtual event featuring social justice activist Angela Davis and Nourbese Flint Thursday, August 13, at 5:30 p.m. discussing Black liberation and why the November 3 general election matters.

Davis, who came out as lesbian in an 1997 Out magazine article, continues to speak out on myriad issues.

Flint is executive director of Black Women for Wellness Action Project.

The evening, a fundraiser for Courage California (formerly the Courage Campaign), will spotlight the visionary leadership of Black, Indigenous, and other women of color; connect Black Lives Matter to our broader lineage of movements; and highlight how we can fight systemic racism on the ballot.

There will also be a performance by the Oakland youth poet laureate Samuel Getachew and a special appearance by gay Emmy-, Tony-, and Grammy-winning actor Billy Porter.

Tickets start at $100. To register, go to https://bit.ly/39Tyhe8.

Virtual LGBTQ resource fair

OurTown SF, the LGBTQ nonprofit resource fair, will go virtual this year and take place Saturday, August 15, from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Organizer Paul Margolis stated in an email that over 150 Bay Area groups serving the queer community are expected to participate. Connections at the expo will help them secure new members, volunteers, and donors.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed and gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman are expected to welcome attendees. The San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band will be on hand, along with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and a member of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus.

For more information, visit the Facebook page at https://bit. ly/30mibGG.

Rosie the Riveter rally goes virtual

This year’s Rosie the Riveter rally to salute the women who served on the home front during World War II will be a virtual affair and takes place Saturday, August 15.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the end of the war and the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Rosie the Riveter/WW II Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond.

People are being asked to post their own Rosie tribute message by Monday, August 10. People can don their Rosie outfits and polka dot bandana, strike the famous Rosie pose, and contribute a thank you to the Rosies and a happy anniversary to the park.

The park and the Rosie the Riveter Trust will share the messages the day of the virtual rally.

The trust is also partnering with Columbia sportswear and has a coupon available through September 8.

The company will donate 10% to the trust; last year it raised over $10,000.

For more information on how to participate and the coupon, go to https://www.tribute.co/rosie-theriveter/. t

t

Community News>>

August 6-12, 2020 • Bay Area Reporter • 7

SF City College to offer cannabis degree

by Sari Staver

cannabis studies department website at https://www.ccsf.edu/degrees-certificates/cannabis-studies.t

C

ity College of San Francisco will launch a two-year associate of arts degree program in cannabis studies next spring, which it says is the first of its kind in the nation.

For now, students can take electives this fall before the required courses start next year. Classes are online now and will return to in-person offerings when public health guidelines allow.

At an online open house Jennifer Dawgert-Carlin, chairman of the Behavioral Sciences Department, which is offering the cannabis degree program, said it will not only target students who want to learn more about pot, but also people already working in the industry who want to increase their knowledge and skills.

To obtain the AA degree, students will be required to take three three-unit classes: introduction to cannabis, anthropology of cannabis, and psychology of psychoactive drugs. Students will study cannabis as it relates to crime, race, income, business, revolution, religion, and world history. They can also choose from other classes on such subjects as criminal justice, drug wars, and religion.

According to Dawgert-Carlin, who identifies as queer, the program has been under development for several years. Faculty were encouraged about the need for the program when 80% of respondents to a local survey said they’d be interested in learning more about pot.

Two years ago, as this column reported, the college began offering cannabis workshops that focused on cannabis 101, ethical issues, and cannabis as medicine.

Staff who examined programming at other educational institutions across the country noticed that they often focused on cannabis as a single-use product, such as the chemistry or botany of the plant, or the business side of the product.

“We felt we had something to add that we didn’t see in any other academic programs,” Dawgert-Carlin said. “We wanted to add the perspectives from psychology to better understand human behavior in regard to cannabis use.

Bay Area Cannasseur runs monthly. To send column ideas or tips, email Sari Staver at sfsari@ gmail.com.

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City College of San Francisco board Vice President Tom Temprano

“Cannabis allows us to gain understanding into the human historic experience of intersecting identities,” such as race, gender, immigration status, social class, and many others, she added.

Dawgert-Carlin said she first became politicized about cannabis as a young psychotherapist working in the San Francisco county jails in the early 1990s.

“I saw in raw form the disproportionate and racist impact of policing policies” she said, since almost all of her clients had been arrested for “drug crimes ... all of them at 16th and Mission.” Many more were being held for violating their probation after testing positive for cannabis exposure, she said.

Dawgert-Carlin said she “witnessed the intergenerational trauma of those policies on children and families as people were caged for non-violent behaviors – behaviors that those people who look like me or who lived in different neighborhood committed without the same repercussions.”

“Instead,” she said, “we binged on Doritos and watched ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’ while other people’s children were removed from their families and placed in a system that created cycles of trauma and despair.”

The City College program integrates three behavioral sciences disciplines into required courses: anthropology, psychology, and sociology with electives from other areas such as health, Latin American and Latino studies, administration of justice; soon the

college will add cinema and communication studies.

The program would be an option for people interested in behavioral sciences but haven’t really found their place in a specific program. Graduates of the program could possibly go on to study or work at one of the cannabis research institutes in the UC system or go on to get a four-year degree in one of the behavioral sciences with cannabis as a specialized background.

Tom Temprano, a gay man who’s vice president of City College’s Board of Trustees, championed development of the new program. He said San Francisco “has been at the intersection of cannabis and social justice” for many years.

Temprano, whose day job is working as a legislative aide for gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, pointed out that the movement for medical marijuana started in the Castro at the height of the AIDS epidemic.

“Access to medical cannabis was about surviving and staying alive,” he said.

The new program, said Temprano, is “an important and huge first step in an ever expanding cannabis curriculum” at City College. The program plans to partner with the city’s Office of Cannabis as well as industry leaders “who hire our students and who hire folks from black and brown communities and who are themselves from those communities,” he said.

While the degree program will not begin until next year, San Francisco students can take classes through the Free City College Program beginning this fall. For further information on the new program, visit the

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<< Community News

8 • Bay Area Reporter • August 6-12, 2020

<<

LGBTQ bars

event pivoted to the Badlands/Toad Hall contingent, it sounded like one of The Edge’s representatives was overheard on a hot mic apparently mentioning “personal attacks” by Militia, which led to jaw drops from some participants.

“Blessings to door people and security because – what a tough job,” Ryan said. “We try to do what we can to give them the support they need. In my walkthroughs, I always checked in on them.”

South of Market bars

The Edge, located on the same block of 18th Street as Badlands, also scored low on the survey. It received a 1.8 for inclusivity and a 2.1 for safety.

Eugene “Bam Bam” Bibs, a former bartender at The Edge, participated in the first restorative justice session of the night.

“I bartended for four and a half years and was called a ‘nigger’ three times,” Bibs, who is Black, said. “When I told my Caucasian co-worker, the first thing he said is ‘Are you sure?’”

Bibs said many Black people feel gaslighted in the Castro.

“Not a lot of people understand what it’s like dealing with racism in the Castro,” Bibs said. “People talk to you and say you’re hot and next thing you know you’re getting called a ‘nigger,’” Bibs said. “What the fuck?”

Bibs also said he felt it was unfair he was reprimanded for smoking marijuana while another co-worker, who was not Black, showed up to work allegedly high on another substance.

The Edge’s representatives apologized to Bibs.

“Your feelings are completely valid and I apologize for that,” Edge gen-

eral manager Michael Schauf said. “In your words, I went to bat for you, and I apologize for the things said to you by customers. I have 86’ed [banned from the bar] many people who said things to you and will do it one million times more.”

After Bibs spoke the next speaker, named Sacred, said, “Even as a patron I was able to identify different issues, also as a patron I have been called the Nword and noticed the hostility of some of the older white patrons against Bam Bam and other people of color.”

Sacred noted that The Edge often does not have Black go-go dancers on busy weekends, such as during Pride or the Folsom Street Fair, and that when the bar does have Black go-go dancers they are often from out of town.

“I only took part in this because I enjoyed The Edge. It was my neighborhood bar even though it was not in my neighborhood,” Sacred said. “Why were these [allegations] not taken seriously when a former employee brought these things up? Why does it take this extent to be considered a serious allegation or a serious situation?”

Schauf said, “We have tried to have an inclusive group of dancers. We obviously failed and we have more work to do.” The bar representatives agreed that they should look into contracting with Black go-go dancers who live in San Francisco.

Militia said that there is “a running theme of obvious anti-Blackness” in the bar and that “I was told by a booker that whenever a Black go-go gets on the bar they get racist comments and his response was to not book me.”

Militia went on to ask what specific “actionable steps” the bar was going to take, accusing its owners of “word salad” and “virtue signaling.”

Rob Giljum, a co-owner of The Edge, responded that he does not have “an exact plan” yet but that “this event is very important and it’s been eyeopening and humbling,” and there will be a plan soon.

The group from The Edge was the second of the four to speak. As the

Lex Montiel, co-owner of The Eagle in the city’s South of Market neighborhood, was the last of the bar representatives interviewed. The Eagle scored a 1.9 on inclusivity and a 2.2 on safety.

Montiel denied accusations that The Eagle said it could not host an event in solidarity with Black Lives Matter because it doesn’t get into politics, even though on other occasions it has honored politicians such as Mayor London Breed.

The discussion with Montiel was awkward, as he said that The Eagle did not have a Black-centered event even though it turned out the venue does.

Montiel seemed to conflate having an event centered on a particular ethnic or racial background with excluding those of other backgrounds, before Afrika America and Militia explained that it did not mean anyone would be kept away.

“The Eagle is a place to bring the entire community together,” Montiel said.

“Are you trying to say I should judge people for the color of their skin?”

Said Militia: “Everyone can come to a Black-centered event but what we’re saying is to center Black artists and community.”

Montiel said that although The Eagle was accused of “catering to white, cis gay men,” there are people of color on the staff and in management.

“Nobody knew that there is a Mexican owner of The Eagle,” he said, referring to himself. “They thought it was just a white, male bar.”

It was agreed at the end of the discussion that The Eagle will be in further talks with the coalition.

The Stud, another South of Market nightclub, had been the first of the evening to be featured. It was held up as an example of how to be inclusive and, indeed, it received the highest scores of any bar – a 3.4 on inclusivity and a 3.1 on safety.

As the B.A.R. previously reported, The Stud’s physical location at 399 Ninth Street is permanently closed.

However, the members of The Stud Collective intend to open a location elsewhere sometime in the future.

Rachel Ryan, the president of the collective, addressed concerns from a former member of the door staff who said they’d had to endure abuse from customers (though they noted that this was before the collective took over The Stud).

Freddie Seipoldt, a nonbinary individual who was one of the founders of the coalition, told the B.A.R. after the event that “for better or worse, it really revealed a lot of the attitudes that these bars have toward our community.”

“I think the audience can decide, based on the data and the response from the bars themselves, whether they trust that these spaces are committed to making the changes needed moving forward,” Seipoldt stated in a Facebook message to the B.A.R. “A lot of the audience tonight wanted to know what the follow-up is going to look like. This is just the beginning of a major process of overhauling the entire queer nightlife scene. The Bay Area Queer Nightlife Coalition plans on holding all of these venues accountable for their actions and making sure they stay true to their commitment to learn and grow.”

Seipoldt thanked everyone who viewed the event – while attendance fluctuated, for most of the four hours it hovered between 350 and 400 viewers.

“I can’t stress how grateful I am to have had such a large and engaged audience,” Seipoldt stated. “The feedback and questions we got tonight were invaluable. I’m excited for what’s next.”

Many of the coalition founders were involved in the aforementioned June 5 Jane Warner Plaza rally, which was emceed by Afrika America. Seipoldt said that the coalition was formed in midJune “as one of many responses to the larger conversations around the Black Lives Matter movement.”

“A lot of organizations and communities have begun to re-examine the ways in which they make space for Black folks. A lot of Black folks who have worked in the Queer Nightlife scene in the Bay Area expressed similar frustrations. Drag performers, DJs, bartenders, staff and patrons alike,” Seipoldt stated. “Actually our town hall was largely inspired by the Black Drag Town Hall, which took place in Chicago last month. That town hall inspired folks here to want to do a similar reevaluation of our nightlife scene.

“Our work is intersectional and intergenerational, and the focus of our work is building equity, safety and inclusivity for Black and Indigenous people of Color in Queer Nightlife across the Bay Area,” Seipoldt added.

The full results of the survey are available on the coalition’s Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/ baqncoalition/. t

such as hypervigilance and panic attacks,” the complaint adds.

“Ms. Smith has been the target of indecent exposure and lewd sexual acts by many men in custody. She has also been verbally harassed and called homophobic and transphobic slurs by staff – including medical and custody staff – on numerous occasions,” the complaint continues.

Smith wrote in her letter to the B.A.R. that these incidents took a toll on her mental health.

“After the shock of being sexually abused and harassed, I felt like killing myself,” Smith wrote. “I wanted to believe that [Prison Rape Elimination Act officials] would work for me, and I had a request to finally be safe.”

The second count alleges a violation of Smith’s 14th Amendment right to equal protection of the laws.

“Under the Equal Protection Clause, discrimination based on transgender status is presumptively

unconstitutional and subject to strict scrutiny,” the complaint states. “Defendants discriminated against and harassed plaintiff because she is transgender and/or because of their sexbased stereotyping that transgender people intentionally make themselves targets for sexual violence and/or make false complaints.”

According to Freddie Francis, who does communications work with Medina Orthwein, transgender people in custody are subjected to sexual violence and assault much more than non-trans people. Francis cited a study showing that 59% of trans people incarcerated in California have been sexually assaulted while in custody, compared with about 4% of the general population.

“The data shows us trans women are particularly susceptible to sexual assault in prison,” Francis said in a recent phone interview with the B.A.R. “This is no safe place for anyone.”

The third count alleges another

violation of Smith’s 14th Amendment rights. It states that prison officials disciplined Smith without going through the proper channels.

“This is not an isolated incident in terms of the way it was handled,” Orthwein said. “It’s a systemic problem and it’s pretty common that complaints are handled in this way.”

Indeed, Smith is one of several trans prisoners who in recent years have alleged violations of their rights.

Even though Smith began transitioning before her prison sentence, she has spent her entire term incarcerated with men, as is the state’s policy. A bill authored by gay state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) aims to allow trans women to be housed with cis women.

Smith believes that in the end, she will get justice.

“I have been sexually assaulted in prison many times and custody did nothing to help me,” she wrote. “I have to believe I will get justice and I

will see parole before I die.”

Terry Thornton, a deputy press secretary with the CDCR stated to the B.A.R. that it “cannot comment on pending litigation.”

“I can tell you that CDCR is committed to providing a safe, humane, rehabilitative, and secure environment for all people housed in the state’s correctional facilities and has policies, practices and procedures in place regarding the screening, housing and treatment of incarcerated transgender people. CDCR maintains a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment, sexual violence, and staff sexual misconduct,” Thompson wrote in a statement.

“This policy applies to all offenders, all CDCR employees, all volunteers and all contractors. Moreover, the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) drives all of CDCR’s efforts to combat sexual abuse and sexual misconduct,” Thompson added. t

nity Energy, a public renewable energy provider. Although the equity and empowerment initiative he co-sponsored with another council member didn’t garner enough votes to pass, the council did instruct city staff to conduct a feasibility study on it.

“It called for the creation of a government accountability commission so that the community themselves could hold officers and elected public officials accountable for their actions, as well as take a historical look at some of the policies in the past and to really

re-evaluate to see if they are the most equitable policies we could make for our city,” explained Arriola.

As the youngest person to serve on his city council, Arriola told the B.A.R. he is ready to bring a new perspective to the mayor’s office.

“As our demographics continue to shift in Tracy, as its mostly people moving from the Bay Area here, the vision and the needs of our community are shifting to be more progressive,” he said. “As that shifts, our leadership needs to be at the forefront of that.” t

From page 1

and sexual assault cover-ups.

One individual who was set to engage in restorative justice with Linsangan stated that door staff misgendered a friend. The coalition members said they would make sure Linsangan sees the testimonial.

Linsangan did not respond to a request for comment.

Badlands closure

The forum occurred the same day that B.A.R. reported that the Castro neighborhood nightclub Badlands announced in a Facebook post that it would not be reopening after the end of the COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders. Badlands had been in the neighborhood for 45 years.

Another bar, with a new name and under new ownership, will open where Badlands once was, according to the post by Badlands owner Les Natali.

Natali, 78, has been a figure of controversy in the Castro at least since 2004, when a report by the San Francisco Human Rights Commission found that Badlands was discriminating against African Americans. The findings were never official because the HRC executive director at the time did not sign off on the staff report. Natali and the complainants eventually reached a confidential settlement.

Natali later opened Toad Hall on the site of what had been the Pendulum, a bar that catered to Black LGBTQs. The allegations have dogged Natali.

As the B.A.R. previously reported, they resurfaced at a Black Lives Matter protest in Jane Warner Plaza in June in the wake of the killing of George Floyd.

When asked for his comment at that time, Natali wrote that the allegations “were found without merit and were dropped.”

“We welcome people of all races and all colors and we probably have the largest, most diverse clientele of any bar in the Castro,” he added.

Natali was not on Twitch to discuss Badlands or Toad Hall and the coalition’s panelists – Afrika America and Militia – did not bring up the past allegations with the bars’ representatives.

However, Badlands did score last on the inclusivity and safety rankings, with a 1.4 score on each.

The discussion around the bar mostly related to its door policies, as people who completed the survey felt that the door staff were not properly trained.

“We want to learn. We want to take guidance from this new coalition and move forward not just to better the bar but to better the community,” Badlands manager Adderly Ayala said. “We

<<

Trans woman

From page 1

“Plaintiff was incarcerated under conditions presenting a substantial risk to her or serious harm in the form of sexual violence as a transgender person in custody,” the complaint states.

“In 1998, when she was first taken into [California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation] custody, correctional officers in the CDCR Reception Center allowed multiple men in custody to rape Ms. Smith repeatedly over four consecutive days.

“And on New Year’s Eve 2013, shortly after arriving at San Quentin, Ms. Smith was attacked from behind and violently raped. While the assailant raped Ms. Smith from behind, he proclaimed, ‘You know you like it!’ Ms. Smith did not know the identity of her assailant at the time, which caused her to subsequently experience even more severe symptoms of PTSD,

<<

Tracy

From page 3

energy to addressing equity concerns, to mixed results. By April 2021 the entire city of roughly 100,000 people will be switched over to East Bay Commu-

t

Screengrab via Twitch

Sacred, lower left, speaks to the management of The Edge about alleged racism during a July 30 town hall put on by the Bay Area Queer Nightlife Coalition over Twitch.

want to do everything we have to.”

Ayala said that Natali signed a pledge of inclusivity and safety, but did not speak to whether the new owner, who has yet to be publicly identified, will do the same. (As of press time this pledge has not yet been made publicly available either.)

“We can’t speak on their behalf,” Ayala said. “Of course, I do.”

The future of Toad Hall has not been publicly announced, but although the Badlands’ Facebook page had been taken down as of late Thursday, Toad Hall’s page was still up as of press time.

Ayala and Toad Hall representative David Facer said they did not know if or when the locations would open for outdoor service, which other Castro bars have done amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Former Edge bartender speaks out

Coalition formed in response to racism, transphobia

t

Legals & Classifieds>>

August 6-12, 2020 • Bay Area Reporter • 9

Legals>> SUMMONS MARIN COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT NOTICE TO DEFENDANT: SERGIO MELLO, AN INDIVIDUAL, SENTIS SYSTEMS INC., A CALIFORNIA CORPORATION, AND DOES 1-10, YOU ARE BEING SUED BY PLAINTIFF: MARCELO MELLO, AN INDIVIDUAL. CASE NO. CW1904254

NOTICE! You have been sued. The court may decide against you without your being heard unless you respond within 30 days. Read the information below.

You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff. A letter or phone call will not protect you. Your written response must be in proper legal form if you want the court to hear your case. There may be a court form that you can use for your response. You can find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), your county law library, or the courthouse nearest you.

If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form. If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money, and property may be taken without further warning from the court.

There are other legal requirements. You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program.

You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo. ca.gov/selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association. NOTE: The court has a statutory lien for for waived fees and costs of on any settlement or arbitration award of $10,000 or more in a civil case.

The court’s lien must be paid before the court will dismiss the case.

The name and address of the court is: Marin County Superior Court, 35021 Civic Center Dr., San Rafael, CA 94903. The name, address, and telephone number of the plaintiff’s attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is: Brett L. Gibbs, Esq., 28 Altamont Ave., Mill Valley, CA 94941; (415) 341-5318. Nov. 19, 2019, James M. Kim, Clerk; Q. Roary, Deputy.

JUL 16, 23, 30, AUG 06, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039099800 The following person(s) is/are doing business as GROOM DAY SPAW, 938 CLEMENT ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed GREEN PAWZ, INC. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/15/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/07/20.

JUL 16, 23, 30, AUG 06, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039100000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as ONJUNO, 1390 MARKET ST #200, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102.

This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed CAPITALJ INC. (DE). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/07/20.

JUL 16, 23, 30, AUG 06, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039091000 The following person(s) is/are doing business as RENAISSANCE SALON, 2600 SACRAMENTO ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed RSSF INC. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/01/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/23/20.

JUL 16, 23, 30, AUG 06, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039097100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as LEICA STORE SF, 463 BUSH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94108.

This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed CAMERA WEST INC. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/26/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/01/20.

JUL 16, 23, 30, AUG 06, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039094100 The following person(s) is/are doing business as WEALTH VISION ADVISORS®, 582 MARKET ST #407, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94104. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed WEALTH VISION ASSOCIATES LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/29/20.

JUL 16, 23, 30, AUG 06, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039100800 The following person(s) is/are doing business as MUY LOCO ONVESTMENTS, 385 CASTANADA AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94116. This business is conducted by a joint venture, and is signed ALEXANDRA CASTAILLAC SAINE & JUDITH EUPHRAT CASTAILLAC. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/08/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/08/20.

JUL 16, 23, 30, AUG 06, 2020 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-20-555779

In the matter of the application of HOK-JIEN GERHARD CHOI, C/O ROGER S. KUBEIN (SBN 197360) 2171 JUNIPERO SERRA BLVD #530, DALY CIY, CA 94014, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner HOKJIEN GERHARD CHOI is requesting that the name HOKJIEN GERHARD CHOI be changed to HOWARD HOK-YIEN CHOI. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept.103N, Rm. 103N on the 27th of August 2020 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JUL 23, 30, AUG 06, 13, 2020 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-20-555783 In the matter of the application of YOSEF HABTEAB HADGU, 735 GOUGH ST #G, SAN FRANCISCO, CA

94102, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner YOSEF HABTEAB HADGU is requesting that the name YOSEF HABTEAB HADGU be changed to YOSEPH GEBREMEDHN EMBAYE. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept.103N, Rm. 103N on the 27th of August 2020 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JUL 23, 30, AUG 06, 13, 2020 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-20-555785

In the matter of the application of JENNIELYN DINO ROSSI, 5 ELSIE ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner JENNIELYN DINO ROSSI is requesting that the name JENNIELYN DINO ROSSI be changed to JENNIELYN DINO. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept.103N, Rm. 103N on the 27th of August 2020 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JUL 23, 30, AUG 06, 13, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039098800 The following person(s) is/are doing business as VIDEOAMP, 350 OCEAN AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed SKOT KUIPER. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 07/01/00. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/06/20.

JUL 23, 30, AUG 06, 13, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039103900 The following person(s) is/are doing business as SLEEPWELL BOOKS, 3740 25TH ST #405, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ANDREA FABIAN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/08/10. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/13/20.

JUL 23, 30, AUG 06, 13, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039095500 The following person(s) is/are doing business as TOWER LAUNDROMAT, 1800 STOCKTON AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed KHIM S. LIM. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/22/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/30/20.

JUL 23, 30, AUG 06, 13, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039103600 The following person(s) is/are doing business as ORBITLINE CORPORATION, 241 LIBERTY ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed ORBITLINE CORPORATION (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 07/01/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/13/20.

JUL 23, 30, AUG 06, 13, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039099600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as BAR PART TIME, 145 CARMEL ST #3, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed WINES FOR A BEAUTIFUL WORLD LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/07/20.

JUL 23, 30, AUG 06, 13, 2020 NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF MELODY R. FULLER IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN MATEO: FILE 20-PRO-00811

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of MELODY R. FULLER. A Petition for Probate has been filed by ANN FULLER in the Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo. The Petition for Probate requests that ANN FULLER be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. The petition requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority. A hearing on the petition will be held in this court as follows: September 01, 2020, 9:00 am, Dept. 28, Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo, 400 County Center, 1st Floor, San Mateo, CA 94063. If you object to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing.

Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. If you are a creditor or contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the latter of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined by section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. You may examine the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for petitioner: JULIE FIEDLER (SBN 224855), HORIZON ELDER LAW & ESTATE PLANNING INC., 2333 SAN RAMON VALLEY BLVD. #145, SAN RAMON, CA 94583; Ph. (925) 244-1185.

JUL 30, AUG 06, 13, 2020 NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF TUAN VAN TRAN IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO: FILE PES-20-303770

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of TUAN VAN TRAN. A Petition for Probate has been filed by HUY NHAT DO & LAM TRAN in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco.

The Petition for Probate requests that HUY NHAT DO & LAM TRAN be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. The petition requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority. A hearing on the petition will be held in this court as follows: August 18, 2020, 9:00 am, Dept. 204, Superior Court of California, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102.

If you object to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. If you are a creditor or contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the latter of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined by section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. You may examine the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for petitioner: CHARLES R. PERRY (SBN 124828), LAW OFFICES OF CHARLES R. PERRY, 100 PINE ST #1250, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111; Ph. (415) 800-3937.

JUL 30, AUG 06, 13, 2020 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-20-555803

In the matter of the application of MARIA DELIA ELIZABETH NUNEZ GUTIERREZ, 1770 SAN JOSE AVE #5, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112 for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner MARIA DELIA ELIZABETH NUNEZ GUTIERREZ is requesting that the name MARIA DELIA ELIZABETH NUNEZ GUTIERREZ AKA DELIA E. NUNEZ AKA ELIZABETH NUNEZ be changed to ELIZABETH NUNEZ. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Rm. 103 on the 17th of September 2020 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as CURRENT SF, 810 GONZALEZ DR #4F, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94132. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed CURRENT SF LCC (CA).

The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 07/10/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/16/20.

JUL 30, AUG 06, 13, 20, 2020 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-039051600 The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as SIMPLY NAILS, 5933 MISSION ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by WENDY DANG. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/22/20.

JUL 30, AUG 06, 13, 20, 2020 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-20-555810

In the matter of the application of KAREN BETH HANDLEMAN & KAREN LEE MILLER, 648 GATES ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioners KAREN BETH HANDLEMAN & KAREN LEE MILLER are requesting that the name BEN HANDLEMAN be changed to BEN MILLER HANDLEMAN. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 10th of September 2020 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

AUG 06, 13, 20, 27, 2020 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-20-555817

matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103 on the 15th of September 2020 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

AUG 06, 13, 20, 27, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039110900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as THE FRAME & EYE OPTICAL, 319 JUDAH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed RICHARD L. NELSON. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 07/13/80. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/24/20.

AUG 06, 13, 20, 27, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039109000 The following person(s) is/are doing business as HONEYCOMB BEHAVIORAL HEALTH GROUP, 2211 POST ST #300, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed HONEYCOMB THERAPY, A MARRIAGE & FAMILY THERAPY CORP (CA).

The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/29/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/21/20.

AUG 06, 13, 20, 27, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039112600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as UNSHIPPERS, 1251 ARMISTEAD RD #B, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94129. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed WATKINS COMPANY LLC (CA).

The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 11/01/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/24/20.

AUG 06, 13, 20, 27, 2020

In the matter of the application of DANNY STEVE GONZALEZ & JI-HYUN JENNIFER LEE, 563 BELVEDERE ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner DANNY STEVE GONZALEZ & JI-HYUN JENNIFER LEE is requesting that the name AE SOLEDAD LEE GONZALEZ be changed to ELODI SOLEDAD EUN-JI GONZALEZ LEE. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said

JUL 30, AUG 06, 13, 20, 2020 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-20-555802

In the matter of the application of YANAI HUANG & AICHAO LIU, 849 JAMESTOWN AVE #201, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124 for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner YANAI HUANG & AICHAO LIU is requesting that the name QINGPING LIU AKA QING PING LIU be changed to BENSON LIU. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 10th of September 2020 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JUL 30, AUG 06, 13, 20, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039106800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as AMIA LUXE, 1315 QUESADA AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124.

This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed LADAVID ANDERSON. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 07/09/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/17/20.

JUL 30, AUG 06, 13, 20, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039096900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as FRISCO’S FAMILY DELI, 28 LELAND AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94134. This business is conducted by a general partnership, and is signed ISSA NAFE & OMAR HANNA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/01/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/30/20.

JUL 30, AUG 06, 13, 20, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039107500 The following person(s) is/are doing business as DISC ALIGN, 644 11TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed BACK-A-LINE INC. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/17/20.

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JUL 30, AUG 06, 13, 20, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039107200 The following person(s) is/are doing business as GRACE DENTAL GROUP, 1426 FILLMORE ST #215, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed WOO YOUNG LEE DDS, INC. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/10/07. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/17/20.

JUL 30, AUG 06, 13, 20, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039111800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as KITCHEN ALOHA, 752 VAN NESS AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed KITCHEN ALOHA (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/01/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/24/20.

JUL 30, AUG 06, 13, 20, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039106300

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That was a real story. It’s interesting, my little sister just sent me a photo of that back porch where I did come out. It was really emotional. She was at our old apartment (where) we used to live together when I came out and all hell broke loose. They made her move out and I was not allowed to be around my brother alone. It was painful. I remember that feeling of physically not being touched back by my own parents.

I knew that it was going to change my life to write that lyric, but I also knew that my life has already been changed by being queer. I said, “I hope maybe it will help other people’s lives.” If it doesn’t mine, it will at least help others. And I think it is!

I’ve already had parents write to me or come up to me at shows before COVID and say, “I need to do better. I don’t want my child to feel that way. I don’t know how to have a trans daughter, but I know I want to learn, I want to accept her.” That stuff is like, “Oh, that’s why I make music.” It’s the most important thing for me to realize like I want to be the kind of artist that I wish I would have had. We still need those kinds of artists. We’re still in a place where we’re fighting for people in countries where you could be killed for being gay. If that’s the reality that we’re in, which we are, then I’m not going to stop.

by Gregg Shapiro

I

t’s only August, but rest assured that The Greatest Part (Captured Tracks), the breathtaking second album by out singer/ songwriter Becca Mancari, will not be forgotten when folks assemble their end-of-theyear, best of 2020 albums lists.

The Greatest Part, available in a limitededition clear-pink vinyl LP version, is a sonic departure from Mancari’s Americana-laced 2017 debut Good Woman.

Gregg Shapiro: With The Greatest Part you’ve made the seamless transition from the modern Americana artist we heard on Good Woman to cutting edge electro folk pop, taking your place alongside people such as Sharon Van Etten, Angel Olsen and Mitski. At what point in the songwriting process did you realize that the songs on The Greatest Part weren’t going to sound like the songs on your debut album Good Woman?

Becca Mancari: Pretty immediately. I knew it because I knew I didn’t want to make another record that sounded the same. I knew that I wanted it to not live in this idea of making it in one city, even, and making a sound that only lives in really one city, truly. It was very on purpose to move forward as an artist. As soon as I started working on the new songs, the first song that I decided to work with Zac Farro on the whole entire record was the song that we did called “Hunter.” That was the first song we demoed. I was like, “Yeah, I’m never going back.

This is what I want to do.”

I’m so glad you mentioned “Hunter” because one of the most fascinating aspects of the songs

Latest and Greatest an interview with Becca Mancari

on The Greatest Part is the juxtaposition of these vivid musical arrangements and the dark lyric content with album opener “Hunter” being a perfect example.

When we decided to do this record together, Zac asked me, “What kind of record do you want to make?” I said, “I want make sad pop music. Similar to the old school style of The Beach Boys, where Brian Wilson talks about his father and really painful things and they’re these beautiful, fun to listen to songs, but there’s a lot of depth there.”

I feel that. I get it. But I don’t want to bum people out. Why would I want to do that as an

Sam Harris Singer discusses his new novel

by Jim Gladstone

W

hen Sam Harris last sang in San Francisco, at Feinstein’s at the Nikko back in 2014, he interspersed his musical numbers with anecdotes about his life and career; that’s hardly unusual in a cabaret act, but Harris’ tales of growing up gay in Oklahoma, rocketing to pop stardom after winning the debut season of Ed McMahon’s Star Search, performing on Broadway, struggling with addiction, and attending Liza Min-

nelli’s wedding were unusually well rendered.

In fact, rather than merely riffing his way through oft-told anecdotes, Harris sat down, slipped on a pair of glasses and read some of them aloud from his then just-published book, Ham: Slices of A Life.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Harris certainly won’t be singing in the Bay Area for the foreseeable future. But he’s

artist? I want people to be moving and feeling good when they’re at my shows. It’s really important to me. I am tired of feeling bad. It was very much, “OK, let’s go there with the lyrics, all the way there, but feel good while we do it.”

I’m really glad we did it. A lot of people have been like, “Why did you do that?” I’m like, “Do you feel good?” They’re like, “Yeah.” That’s the point. To address painful things with feelings that are uplifting.

“First Time” opens with the line, “I remember the first time my dad didn’t hug me back” which is as personal as a journal entry, and yet something to which so many LGBTQ people can relate.

doubled-down as an author: His second book, The Substance of All Things, was published July 1. It’s a novel. And it’s a knockout.

As a six-year-old, country boy protagonist Theo Dalton loses his mother in a car accident that also leaves the boy’s hands mangled.

But Theo’s tragedy is transfigured when he discovers that his twisted fingers have been imbued with strange powers. Soon enough, the boy’s hands fall into the wrong hands (Bogus faith healing is just one of the story’s ambling detours).

As the plot winds through Theo’s adolescence, alternate chapters present the same character as a middle-aged man stubbornly trying to avoid a reckoning with his past. In one of several stellar advance reviews, book trade bible Kirkus praised Harris’ ability to “expertly and adroitly” interweave two plotlines and time periods to “dramatic and cumulatively powerful” effect. Readers will detect faint echoes of John Irving’s works and of Pat Conroy’s Prince of Tides in The Substance of All Things.

And so it seems, with his second book, Sam Harris is beginning a new chapter.

“I spent more than a year trying to choose a direction, and writing scenes that didn’t really come together,” said Harris. “Then a friend suggested I draw on my childhood and that really opened things up in my imagination.”

While The Substance of All Things is partly inspired by Harris’ own experiences, it’s not the thinly-veiled autobiography one might expect from a first time novelist.

Theo doesn’t grow up to become a performer or win a TV talent show.

Harris has imagined a decades-sweeping tale packed with episodic adventure, moments of tenderness and a gallery of memorably eccentric, deftly drawn characters.

Harris says that writing The Substance of All Things shared many of the deepest pleasures of putting on a show.

“Bad” is a recurring theme, in “Like This” for example, when you sing about “bad things” happening “to good people all the time,” as well as in the song “Bad Feeling.” Do you think any good can come from the bad?

Oh, yes. Words are so futile at times and vocabulary is so loaded, but for me that feeling of life is all about people without voices. People who are in this country of immigrants and can’t really speak up for themselves. I have to believe that for me the music and the way I write music is the hope that even with all this horrible stuff that’s happened to me personally, and people around me, there’s power in freedom from those things. Yes, I do think that good is coming. I have to believe that or else I would be hopeless.t

Read the full interview on www.ebar.com

“You know, I could live in a rehearsal hall.

Preparing a performance. That experience of spending 12 hours a day, forgetting to eat, and just trying and failing and exploring and experimenting and creating. That is my favorite room to be in. Unless I’m sitting somewhere writing; then that’s my favorite room to be in.”t

Read the full interview on www.ebar.com SamHarrisBooks.com

Online events For our expansive Arts, Nightlife and Community events, plus more articles, go to www.ebar.com.

t

Film, Books & Music>>

Besties forever Jack & Yaya’s true love story

by Gregg Shapiro

S

eeing as how Jack & Yaya is firsttime co-directors Jen Bagley and Mary Hewey’s full-length documentary debut, some things can be forgiven (i.e. the endless Superbowl scene). Nevertheless, Bagley and Hewey get more right than wrong in their rendering of this touching true story.

Neighbors and inseparable friends since childhood, Bostonbased schoolteacher and visual artist Jack and waitress and performer Yaya first met when they were three and two, respectively. Back when they still went by their dead names, Jacqueline and Christopher. Back when they were just beginning to realize who they were before they even knew how to become those people.

Yaya (aka Christina) still lives in South Jersey, in the house she moved into with her family, when she was young. It’s the house next door to where Jack’s father Tony

(and his girlfriend) live; the house in which Jack grew up.

When we first meet Jack, who lives with his dog Plinko, he is still in the process of transitioning.

He has had top surgery and is taking testosterone. Jack and Plinko drive from Boston to Jersey for the July Fourth holiday in his beat-up Honda Civic.

It’s a significant journey A scene from Jack & Yaya because not only will Jack be reunited with Yaya riences, to each other and then to (who relies on him), but he will also their families, contain the kind of be able to spend time with his loving powerful and valuable information and supportive father. so necessary now, especially as the Leading up to this point, we’ve trans community becomes increasmostly heard from Jack and Yaya. ingly visible, and also at risk. Being They tell meaningful and emotional that they are millennials, they also stories about their relatives. They had the advantage of coming out speak openly about their individin a more enlightened time (Jack’s ual difficulties. The more eloquent story about his grandmother’s reJacks is better at conveying the trausponse to Rosie O’Donnell coming mas and triumphs of his transition. out is one example).

Jack and Yaya’s coming out expeYaya’s own coming out may or

may not have been complicated by her having a gay older brother, John.

John admits to having a hard time when Yaya made the decision to transition. This is particularly fascinating because John and Yaya both performed in drag (known as Such Dalight and Yaya Dalight, respectively). Additionally, photo Yaya had to deal with her mother’s terminal cancer diagnosis along with her mother’s request that she hold off on transitioning until after she was dead.

Still, the struggles we see firsthand are not diminished by public awareness. The issues that Yaya has in New Jersey with legally changing her name to Christina as compared to the ease with which Jack was able to change his shines a spotlight on how far we still have to go as a society.

In the final analysis, Jack & Yaya is a celebration of a lifelong friend-

Upon This Rock David Eugene Perry’s gay noir novel

by Will Snyder

C

ertainly to some, San Francisco is a city of mystery.

Hence, it should have San Franciscans who solve mysteries, whether it is in The City by the Bay or elsewhere. It could be Sam Spade telling us of the things dreams are made of in The Maltese Falcon, or Nick and Nora Charles in The Thin Man. HapAuthor David pily, author David Eugene Perry Eugene Perry has just given us two detectives as sharp as Spade and with the wit of Nick and Nora. Yet, Perry’s Their differences also extend to one heroes, Lee and Adriano, represent a of the more interesting plot points 21st Century update, for they are a of the novel. Lee was once a hopehappily married gay couple. ful priest while Adriano is a lapsed There’s some indirect compariCatholic turned confirmed atheist. son to Nick and Nora. Whereas Little did they know, however, Nick and Nora match martini for that a two-month sabbatical to a martini to keep things on an uneven rustic Italian town of Orvieto would keel, Lee and Adriano trade barbs test faith and lack of faith. The vaduring crossword puzzle sessions. cation was planned because of not

only the need for a vacation, but also to help put aside the pain of a lost loved one, an Episcopalian priest named Brian Swathmore.

What the two young men find amidst small-town pasta and vino is mystery. They hear of a suicide of a young deacon named Andrea Bernadone. Why did Andrea, beloved in Orvieto, fall to deliberate death only days before his ordination into the priesthood? The more Lee and Adriano investigate Andrea’s apparent fall from grace, the more they become involved with religious fervor.

It is here where Perry introduces us to a wide variety of characters who may or may not have anything to do with the death of the deacon.

What did Don Bello, the kindly old priest who survived Mussolini,

know? Or, Lady Peg, the Hedda Hopper of Orvieto? Or, Grigori, once a Swiss Guard for the Pope, but now a set designer for a Christmas pageant? Or Rev. Vicki, an Anglican priest with a secret of her own?

There are others, of course, as Perry introduces plot point after plot point. Just when you think you have a handle on the story, Perry tells you the plot has just thickened.

Before you have gotten to page 360, you are introduced to Church history, scandals and hypocrisy and international intrigue.

And, oh yes, because it is a mystery, there’s a killer of a surprise at the end.

Move over, Sam, Nick and Nora.

Welcome the new kids to the neighborhood, Lee and Adriano.t Upon This Rock by David Eugene Perry. September 1, 2020. 360 pp., $16.95, Pace Press, Fresno, CA.

Q-Music: Queerantine playlist “Shit Kickin’” and “Favorite Flavor,” all with an eye towards social commentary.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find an album more gorgeous than Our Two Skins (Jagjaguwar), the second by queer singer/songwriter Gordi (aka Sophia Payten), this year. Soul-baring album opener “Aeroplane Bathroom” alone, about getting your “shit together” in the tightest of spaces, is simply exquisite.

Market & Castro, San Francisco

August 6-12, 2020 • Bay Area Reporter • 11

Khruangbin, continues to bring the flashback funk on Mordechai (Dead Oceans), the band’s new album. “Time (You and I)” is a perfect recreation of seventies disco, something that would have packed the dancefloor at the Paradise Garage in the wee small hours of the morning. “Pelota” adds a distinctive Latin groove to the irresistible dance moves.

Peggy Lee (Capitol/UMe).t

Read the full review on www.ebar.com

ship, about which Jack and Yaya put it best. Jack says they were good friends when they were younger because of who they actually are, while Yaya describes them as “old souls who knew each and had met again.”

Rating: Bt jackandyaya.com

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by Gregg Shapiro

I

t’s been 35 years since Indigo Girls released their first single (feel old yet?). By 1987 they were signed to a major label and released their full-length debut album.

However, it wasn’t until the Indigo Girls eponymous 1989 album (the one with “Closer to Fine” on it) that they fully connected with the people who would become their devoted audience. Arriving five years after the Indigo Girls’ previous studio album, Look Long (Rounder) continues the musical tradition that Amy Ray and Emily Saliers established all those years ago. The successful formula includes the duo’s blend of modern Americana pop on songs including the title tune, “Country Radio,” “When We Were Writers” and “Sorrow and Joy,” and memorable rockers such as “Change My Heart,”

Expectations (Rounder), the debut album by young, lesbian singer/songwriter Katie Pruitt, is an admirable introduction to a talented artist. Fans of Brandi Carlile and Becca Mancari will connect with Pruitt’s extraordinary and commanding vocal abilities as well as her way to draw in the listener with her personal lyric style.

Laura Lee, the out bassist in

Peggy Lee was totally straight, but she was adored by the gays.

Legendary female impersonator Jim Bailey included Lee in his act and gay writer James Gavin wrote her well-received bio Is That All There Is? Gay icon Madonna even covered one of Lee’s trademark numbers, “Fever.” Lee’s centennial is being celebrated in 2020 (she died in 2002) and one of the best ways to get (re)acquainted is the newly released 22-track Ultimate

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